Just bought the latest model of this DVD player - DVP3680. Have previous one, too: DVP3560

Both have USB input and it's what I use most of the time.
New model has new features, but has some usability problems which previous did not have, so I wonder if there are some settings (may be hidden like say region code hack) to fix those problems:

1) Older model: if there is no disk, it automatically looks to USB drive and loads its content

New model just stays on "No disk", and also (unlike older model) new one does not have "USB" button on remote and thus I need to use an arrow to move to "USB" on screen and then click OK - only then USN disk content is loaded

Fixable? Say, on "no disk" - try USB? Or make USB a primary on load?

2) Older model: full-screen view of a directory on the USB. So in the list of the titles a lot of symbols of a movie title is visible

New model: 3 "columns":

left column - menu to choose Video/Audio/...

center column - list of titles in the directory

right column - some system information

This the main part is too narrow and only a small part of movie titles is visible in the list.

Can it be fixed and made as in previous model?

Thanks

P.S. Obviously, I have already talked to Philips Tech Support - but they said it works as it works - but they would say the same about Regions so I hope there are some special settings for the thing I listed...

Numbers 1 and 2 are firmware issues. It's up to Philips to fix this if they wish to or even can. Hacked firmware generated outside of the manufacturer is incredibly rare. I can only think of one or two instances of this in the past 4 or so years so you basically have to complain to Philips and get them interested. Sounds like they are adopting the old "It's not a bug, it's a feature" attitude that means that they don't share your opinion that those things are problems. It would not be realistic for you to expect someone on the internet to produce special hacked firmware to fix these issues. The only hacked firmware I can remember in recent years was mostly to fix a problem with the Latin alphabet on Divx/Xvid subtitles where it failed to display some Portuguese diacritical marks, but while that was being fixed the hackers also changed the file display setting to show the true name of files instead of limiting them to an 8 dot 3 display (ie. MYVIDEO~.AVI).

Region code settings are hidden so that the manufacturer can use those settings for testing in their labs if they wish. It also provides plausible deniability when Hollywood complains that the player can be made region free by the manufacturer insisting that they hid the feature and turned it off by default (this is quite true) and they're not responsible if someone figured out how to access that and change it.

Thanks. Yes, they say, "it's how it works" - but my point was that I would be Ok with that _if_ previous model did not have both items working better from the usability point of view. I mean, if previous model, DVP3560, had the same (1) and (2), I would _not_ complain

I was trying yesterday to find that page with a fix for language - I do remember that it made file names being displayed better - but cannot find - do you still have a link?